Best Small Grants for Nonprofits in Pennsylvania

The E.B. Henderson Award, presented by SHAPE America, honors minority members who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to scholarship, mentorship, and advocacy for ethnic minorities within health and physical education. Established in 1885, SHAPE America serves over 200,000 professionals, promoting high-quality education standards. The award recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to increasing the participation of underserved populations in the field. Limited to two awards annually, it highlights the importance of diversity and inclusion in health education.

The PA Fair Fund - County 4-H Funds Reimbursement Program supports county 4-H organizations in Pennsylvania by reimbursing a portion of their annual expenses for activities that foster leadership development. This includes costs for public speaking, judging contests, scholarships, and administration. By attracting visitors and boosting local economies, fairs serve as vital community hubs. This grant promotes youth engagement and agricultural education while ensuring that upfront costs are covered by the organizations.

The PA Fair Fund - County FFA Funds Reimbursement Program supports Pennsylvania's county FFA organizations by reimbursing a portion of their annual expenses for leadership development activities. Eligible costs include public speaking, judging contests, and scholarships, while entertainment and clothing costs are ineligible. This program enhances local economies by creating jobs and promoting agricultural products, making it essential for community development and engagement.

The FDC Foundation, established in 2008, is a private non-profit dedicated to providing grants to 501(c)(3) public charities across three main areas: Health & Nutrition, Education, and Housing. The foundation supports initiatives that improve nutrition, assist diabetic individuals, enhance early childhood development, and promote housing opportunities for those in need. However, it does not fund for-profit entities or international organizations, nor does it provide grants for specific excluded purposes.

The Ralph J. Torraco Scholarship for Special Education, offered by the UNICO Foundation, provides two scholarships of $2,500 each for U.S. students pursuing degrees in Special Education. Eligible candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and plan to continue their studies into the 2026-2027 academic year. This scholarship supports students with various disabilities, ensuring that education is accessible and equitable for all.

The Ralph J. Torraco Scholarship for Veterinary Studies, offered by the UNICO Foundation, provides two scholarships of $2,500 each for students pursuing veterinary studies at accredited U.S. colleges. Eligible candidates must be U.S. citizens, enrolled full-time, and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. This opportunity supports diverse applicants and emphasizes community service, reflecting UNICO's commitment to Italian American heritage and educational advancement.

The Hispanic Center Scholarship Fund, managed by the Berks County Community Foundation, awards scholarships annually to residents of Berks County pursuing post-secondary education. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate academic achievement, involvement in community activities, and financial need. The fund aims to support individuals of Hispanic heritage from various Latin American countries, enabling them to succeed in their educational pursuits. Past recipients can reapply each year, fostering a commitment to ongoing academic excellence and community engagement.

The Climate Justice Organizing Fund - Track Two supports grassroots organizations focused on implementing climate justice strategies. This funding aims to empower groups addressing interconnected issues such as racial justice, food security, health equity, and affordable housing. Eligible organizations must have an annual budget of $500,000 or less and prioritize community voices impacted by climate change. The fund emphasizes direct action, coalition building, and mobilizing communities to engage with policymakers, ensuring a robust response to climate challenges.

The Starseed Foundation Grant offers support to 501(c)(3) organizations focused on enhancing the arts, environmental protection, literacy, and social services. Grants are available to organizations throughout the United States, with a specific emphasis on programs based in Oregon. Interested parties must first submit a Letter of Inquiry to be considered for funding. This initiative aims to improve the quality of life for underserved communities through cultural and educational enrichment.

PennDOT Behavioral Highway Safety Grants

PennDOT’s Behavioral Traffic Safety Unit offers traffic safety grants to support local communities and organizations working to make Pennsylvania’s roads safer. Eligible applicants include local governments, universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Pennsylvania state related universities, and nonprofit organizations.

Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Grant

Coordination of the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor position in accordance with national and state guidelines in support of the Commonwealth’s Highway Safety Program.

Purchases over $500 require PennDOT preapproval even if they are approved in the initial proposed budget.

Single item purchases in excess of $10,000, the hiring of personnel, and out-of-state travel will require substantial justification and preapproval.

The PA Very Small Meat and Poultry Processor Reimbursement Grant Program aims to support the development and expansion of very small meat and poultry processing operations in Pennsylvania. By offering grants up to $100,000, the program helps cover costs related to obtaining USDA inspections, starting new operations, or expanding existing ones. Eligible applicants must be current operators or those who will secure inspections upon project completion. This initiative promotes sustainable growth within the local food industry.

PennDOT Behavioral Highway Safety Grants:

PennDOT’s Behavioral Traffic Safety Unit offers traffic safety grants to support local communities and organizations working to make Pennsylvania’s roads safer. Eligible applicants include local governments, universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Pennsylvania state related universities, and nonprofit organizations.

Statewide Traffic Records Program Support

Coordination of activities designed to assist PennDOT with supporting Pennsylvania Police Agency crash report filing in addition to other services as identified.

PennDOT Behavioral Highway Safety Grants:

PennDOT’s Behavioral Traffic Safety Unit offers traffic safety grants to support local communities and organizations working to make Pennsylvania’s roads safer. Eligible applicants include local governments, universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Pennsylvania state related universities, and nonprofit organizations.

Police Traffic Services (PTS) Program

Coordination of local police participation in impaired driving, occupant protection, aggressive driving, distracted driving, and pedestrian safety enforcement countermeasures, including officer overtime, necessary equipment purchases, and associated training.

The Clinical Trial & Research Network Kick-Start Grant (CTRN), launched by the Department of Community and Economic Development in partnership with the Office of Transformation & Opportunity aims to create a coordinated clinical research infrastructure that will reduce the cost, time, and complexity of conducting clinical trials in the Commonwealth. Critically, the CTRN is meant to facilitate a robust partnership across healthcare and life sciences stakeholders that benefits patients, healthcare institutions, and businesses alike.

Foundation for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

The FCIDD was founded for the purpose of providing support to organizations that serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Mission Statement: The Foundation supports organizations which enhance the lives of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities by promoting research, projects, education and advocacy. 

Nonprofit Project Grants

The Foundation for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (FCIDD) funds 501(c)(3) organizations working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities of all ages, primarily in the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. 

Funding Priorities

• Grants will be awarded for the purpose of primarily benefiting, including, or increasing accessibility for individuals with intellectual or development disabilities.
• Grants may be awarded for scholarships or training personnel in the care and education of individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities. 
• Grants shall mainly be distributed to a Charity whose primary purpose or whose project is to support individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. A Charity which has a project to benefit individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities based on financial need shall be awarded the grant money based upon its own objective criteria and without any special preference to members of Civitan or members of their family.

Grant Categories

A grant application typically fits into one of the following categories: Accessibility & Engagement; Educational Spaces; Program Area Improvements; Outreach and Education 

Educational Spaces

For I/DD serving school programs with a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) attached needing property improvements or equipment/resource purchases to better serve their students with I/DD.

Gilead North America Grants support community-informed programs that enhance healthcare for vulnerable populations. Grants are available for innovative projects addressing HIV, liver diseases, oncology, and inflammatory diseases. Applications are invited from tax-exempt nonprofits based in the U.S. who focus on health equity and community engagement. Gilead prioritizes funding for projects that demonstrate a strong capability to deliver impactful outcomes, helping to eliminate barriers to healthcare and improve access to essential services.

Certified Local Government Grant Program

The CLG Grant Program provides financial support to participating communities to develop the tools, products, programs, and services they need to administer their local preservation programs effectively and in accordance with the CLG Guidelines and Procedures.

Certified Local Government (CLG) Grant Program: Mini-Grants

The CLG Mini-Grant program is intended to provide Certified Local Governments with grant funds to solve problems and build capacity for the local preservation program in a timely and targeted fashion. Projects and issues often arise outside of established annual grant cycles, requiring communities to either defer action and wait for the next open grant round, spend money from the annual budget, or seek funding from other sources. Often, important projects languish and never get done because the resources aren't available or something more pressing takes precedence. Sometimes, there's a project or a property that requires a timely response and the community cannot wait for another grant round to open.

General Conditions

• CLG Mini-Grants will be made in the amounts of $100 - $7,500.
• All Mini-Grants require a minimum cash match equal to 25% of the grant award.
• All grantees will receive 10% of the grant award for administrative overhead, consistent with Federal guidelines.
• All Mini-Grants will be awarded under the CLG Master Grant Contract between the Commonwealth and the CLG.
• Mini-Grants are reimbursement grants.

Maximum Number of Awards

• Awards are made on a first-come-first-served basis until all available funds have been committed.
• A CLG may only receive one Mini-Grant at a time. When a Mini-Grant is closed, the CLG may apply for another Mini-Grant. A CLG may have an open Project Grant, Mini-Grant, and Scholarship at the same time, provided each grant is for a different project.

Matching Requirements

• CLG Mini-Grants require a minimum cash match equal to 25% of the grant award.
• The cash match may come from any non-Federal source (i.e. municipal funds, state funds, or private funds). The only eligible Federal source for matching funds are Community Development Block Grants.
• Applicants do not need to have the minimum match secured at the time of application. Upon notification that of a successful grant award, applicants will have 60 days to secure the required match and provide verification of its immediate availability to the PA SHPO. After 60 days, the PA SHPO cannot guarantee that the grant funds will still be available.

The Certified Local Government (CLG) Grant Program offers financial assistance to Pennsylvania's Certified Local Governments for projects that enhance local preservation efforts. Funding amounts range from $3,000 to $25,000, with a required cash match of 10%, 25%, or 50% of the total project cost, depending on the project type. Eligible projects include design guidelines, historic resource surveys, and revitalization plans, aimed at producing tangible benefits for communities.

The Pittsburgh Foundation

Established in 1945, The Pittsburgh Foundation is one of the nation’s oldest community foundations and as of 2022 is the 18th largest of more than 750 similar foundations across the United States.

As a community foundation, its resources comprise endowment funds established by individuals, businesses and organizations with a passion for charitable giving and fulfilling the Foundation’s mission of improving quality of life for all in the region. The Foundation currently manages about 2,500 individual donor funds and, together with its supporting organizations and its affiliate, The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, has assets of $1.386 billion (2022). Grantmaking benefits a broad spectrum of basic needs and development opportunities within Pittsburgh and beyond.

Scholarships

The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County provide scholarship opportunities for local students to pursue their educational goals. Scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduate, medical and professional school students who are attending community colleges, four-year universities and career/technical schools.

Barbara A. Walter Scholarship Fund

The Barbara A. Walter Scholarship Fund was created at The Pittsburgh Foundation to provide scholarships to students of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine focusing on oncology.

Award Type: Multi-Year (up to 4 years). Recipients must maintain full-time enrollment and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

The Pittsburgh Women in Communications Scholarship Fund, established by The Pittsburgh Foundation, supports local students pursuing studies in various communications fields. Eligible candidates include juniors, seniors, and graduate students attending Pennsylvania colleges or universities, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. This fund aims to empower aspiring communicators from several counties, enhancing their educational opportunities and fostering a diverse future in communications.

The Bernard and Carolyn Torraco Memorial Nursing Scholarships, funded by the UNICO Foundation, offer $2,500 scholarships to students pursuing accredited nursing programs in the United States. These scholarships support nursing students of all ethnicities who demonstrate financial need and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. Eligible candidates must be U.S. citizens and enrolled in a campus-based program, with a focus on continuing their studies within the academic year 2025-2026.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

ON Semiconductor Foundation

onsemi is a leading semiconductor manufacturer serving tens of thousands of customers across several markets with intelligent power and sensing technologies.

The ON Semiconductor Foundation, an onsemi Giving Now program, has named PLTW a strategic partner and made an additional investment to support grants for schools in onsemi communities to implement or expand the PLTW Biomedical Science program for the 2026-2027 school year.

PLTW Biomedical Science - New Program

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Biomedical Science course in the 2026-2027 academic year. Schools may implement any PLTW Biomedical Science courses of their choosing.

The Bayard Long Award supports students researching plant species in the Philadelphia area and surrounding regions. With a typical funding of $2000, it encourages studies that enhance understanding of local flora, including field and herbarium work. Eligible projects must include at least one native plant species, promoting both academic and practical botanical endeavors. This opportunity is available to all students enrolled in degree programs at any post-secondary institution, furthering educational and scientific exploration in botany.

The SFS Fellows Grant, awarded by the Society for Freshwater Science, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to freshwater science research, policy, or management. Each year, up to four fellows are selected based on their sustained excellence and leadership within the field. This initiative also encourages diversity by promoting nominations from underrepresented groups and mid-career professionals. The grant fosters collaboration and participation in SFS activities, enhancing the impact of freshwater science.

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

Established by law in 1978, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) serves as the justice planning and policymaking agency for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. By bringing together a wide range of experts in the fields of criminal and juvenile justice, victim services, and related professions, PCCD coordinates the collective examination of problems, proposes solutions, and evaluates the impact of those solutions.

Substance Abuse Education and Demand Reduction (SAEDR) Grants

These funds exist to support projects designed to educate the public about the dangers of substance abuse and/or reduce demand for these substances.

Category Three 

The goal of SAEDR Category 3 funding is to educate employers, unions, and employees about the dangers of substance use in the workplace and provide comprehensive drug-free workplace programs and technical resources for businesses. This includes, but is not limited to, training for working parents to keep their children drug-free.

The objectives and anticipated impacts:

• Increase awareness in the workplace of the dangers of substance misuse.
• Increase the resources available to employers to improve their comprehensive drugfree workplace programs.
• Improve employee attendance.
• Decrease workplace incidents attributable to substance misuse.
• Increase in knowledge of targeted populations and a reduction in the number of individuals that misuse and abuse substances. 

Statewide nonprofit organizations may partner with governmental entities, including school entities, provided the statewide nonprofit organization is the applicant agency.

The Sara Long Trust Grant aims to assist individuals who are unable to support themselves due to accident, disease, or old age. Established under the will of Sara Long, a Philadelphia resident who passed away in 1902, the foundation supports qualified organizations, particularly those located in Pennsylvania, that serve this vulnerable population. Organizations must be 501(c)(3) exempt to be eligible for funding, as the trust does not provide grants directly to individuals.

The STOP Statewide Training and Technical Assistance: Sexual Assault Project, funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, aims to enhance the understanding of sexual assault within Pennsylvania. This initiative targets victim advocates, law enforcement, and prosecutors, ensuring they receive comprehensive training and technical support. By fostering collaboration among various stakeholders, the project seeks to improve responses to sexual violence and ultimately support victims more effectively. Reports are required quarterly through Egrants.